ilivewithadisability.com

ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. Initiated in NY in 2007, the festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Read the rest of this entry →

When you think about the most important day in your life, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your high school graduation or your first day of college. Perhaps it’s your wedding day or the miraculous birth of your first born child. Or maybe it’s something as simple as spending a fulfilling day with a sick loved one or seeing the love of your life for the first time. Read the rest of this entry →

A pioneer of the Independent Living and Disability Rights movements, Max Starkloff, was responsible for many important changes in disability rights in St. Louis. fueled by powerful self-motivation and inspired by the work of Ed Roberts, Starkloff laid the groundwork for change on a larger scale. Read the rest of this entry →

Recently I saw a post on Twitter that inspired a little thought.  The person linked to a blog discussing when she switched from being a passive to an active disability rights supporter.  This made me think about my experience, both as a self-advocate and advocating for others.  Read the rest of this entry →

The Olmstead Decision is one of the most important Supreme Court decisions regarding people with disabilities.  This decision orders States to comply with the American with Disabilities Act to provide services for people with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Read the rest of this entry →

Recently, I watched a documentary on The Learning Channel, Paralyzed and Pregnant, 4 Years Later. The woman documented in the film, Michelle Carston, was 23 and on vacation when she was injured, leaving her with a permanent C5 injury. Paralyzed and Pregnant, 4 Years Later is the story of her life as a woman, as a mother, and as a human being, who just happens to be a quadriplegic.

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When Ben Richards set out to become a successful visual effects artist and graphic designer almost two decades ago, he never could have imagined he would become a world traveling documentary filmmaker living out his dream career.   Read the rest of this entry →

Colleen is a disability rights leader, advocate, and visionary. Her passion for assisting The Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, which assists amputees in developing countries, is evident by her commitment to raising money and awareness for the 100 Miles in 100 Days campaign.

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The news is full of our “leaders” who want to cut benefits, institutionalize us or ignore our basic human rights altogether.  These stories can really get you down, if you let them. We always hear about the legislation and the negative stories, but you rarely see any of the positive news. Read the rest of this entry →

“We’ve tried cripples before and it didn’t work.” This was the response from the University of California at Berkeley to Ed Roberts when he applied for admission in 1962. This was not the first rejection that Ed received. In 1961, he was considered so severely disabled, that he was labeled “unemployable.” Roberts was significantly disabled, but he knew he could be an Read the rest of this entry →